Some people love going to the gym. Going to the gym is a personal motivator and it’s refreshing to work out and release the stress that’s been building up. But for many people, going to the gym is unappealing. There’s nothing worse than to be reminded that the weight isn’t coming off as fast as one may like and it’s easy to come up with excuses as to why it’s better to stay home. Successful marketing is often non-intrusive. It’s successful because it gives people something they need. While people may need to lose weight, telling them that they are overweight is intrusive. It’s honest, but intrusive, out of line, and not friendly whatsoever. Marketing a gym needs to be friendly. Let’s face it – working out is personal, getting in shape is emotional, and dealing with excuses can be overwhelming. People become members of a gym because they know they need to stay in shape, be healthy, work on trouble areas, join a class, work out with friends, lift weights – you name it. Getting them to sign up for a membership can be quite the challenge. Rather than calling these leads, asking them to come down for a conversation about a membership, why not text them? People tend to respond to text messages much more than emails and phone calls. Text messages are easier, require little time, and can even be done quickly with voice-activated services, such as Siri. Text messages are less intrusive, meaning you are giving potential customers the reminder that you’d like them to become members, but doing it in a way that gives them the freedom to reply when they want. It also doesn’t require much time or effort to reply. But texting as part of your marketing isn’t just great for getting members – it’s also great for retaining those you have! Part of keeping your members happy is showing them that you care about them. Rather than spam them with emails, use text messaging to remind them about specials, workout classes they have registered for, tell them about cancellations with trainers or classes to help them save time during the day, wish them a happy birthday, and remind them about billing cycles or payment issues. Showing your current gym members that you care about them goes well beyond having a functional and clean gym. It’s all about how you make them feel, respecting their time, privacy, and personal life, while still marketing to them – ever so gently! Let’s work together to create a marketing plan for you, where texting becomes an integral part of your strategic marketing plan. Contact us today!